X Blocks Over 8,000 Accounts In India After Executive Orders From Indian Govt

Social media level X (formerly Twitter) has revealed that it has received executive orders from nan Indian authorities directing it to artifact entree to much than 8,000 accounts successful India. The institution said it is complying pinch nan directive nether protest, calling nan move excessive and a threat to free speech.

In a connection issued connected Thursday, X claimed nan government’s orders see demands to artifact accounts belonging to salient users arsenic good arsenic world news organisations. The institution said it has begun restricting entree to nan specified accounts wrong India, but emphasised that it powerfully disagrees pinch nan rationale down nan orders.

“For a important number of accounts, we did not person immoderate grounds aliases justification to artifact nan accounts,” X said, adding that successful astir cases, nan authorities had not specified which posts allegedly violated Indian law.

The institution besides expressed interest complete nan ineligible consequences it could look for non-compliance, stating that nonaccomplishment to travel nan orders could consequence successful “significant fines and imprisonment of nan company’s section employees.”

Calling nan request to artifact full accounts “unnecessary” and a shape of “censorship,” X based on that specified measures undermine nan basal correct to free reside and restrict entree to early contented arsenic well.

Despite its disagreement, X said keeping nan level accessible successful India remains a priority. “This is not an easy decision, nevertheless keeping nan level accessible successful India is captious to Indians’ expertise to entree information,” nan institution said.

X noted that it is exploring each ineligible avenues disposable to it, but nether Indian law, it has constricted expertise to situation nan orders. It urged affected users to activity ineligible remedies independently and provided links to ineligible assistance organisations, including iProbono India, nan National Legal Services Authority, nan Karnataka Legal Services Authority, and nan Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.

The institution has informed affected users successful statement pinch its policies and advised them to interaction nan Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology astatine [email protected] if needed.

Published on: May 8, 2025 11:04 PM IST